


To Protect

by penink



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Captain Puffy is a knight, Confrontation, Dream Smp, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hostage Situations, I am writing within the fiction they have given us, Jack Manifold makes such a good villain like kudos to him, Niki is going through some stuff, but it's more so about Puffy deciding where she stands, clingyduo need more help, don't know if I should tag this as ship, it's about their characters and their established relationship sure, minor though, ok this has nothing to do with the actual people, this is all about roleplay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-17 11:28:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28848336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/penink/pseuds/penink
Summary: Puffy swore she would do good.  She would protect these kids who had no one to help them.  She just hadn't realized who she was protecting them from.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 171





	To Protect

Jack Manifold stoked the flames already licking at Niki’s broken heart, the flames she had tended to and fed carefully ever since the L’Mantree. Whether Jack had good intentions or merely saw Niki as a useful tool in his bid for revenge, the difference didn’t matter. Their goals remained the same. Jack didn’t care about the fallout, he didn’t care if killing Tommy would dissuade Dream as Niki seemed so convinced, as long as Tommy was dead on the ground, as long as Tommy knew _he_ had been the one to ensure his final death, the details didn’t matter. Tommy had taken too much from him. Wounded his pride one too many times. Now Jack would take from him the only thing he had left.

Niki had not fallen in line easily, she was cautious, she was not naturally inclined to violence, she was just grieving. She had never recovered from the loss of Wilbur. So Jack was sure to remind her of the only way to honor his memory. 

“We both know it’s his fault,” Jack pointed out on one of their many meetings. He had been sure to take their route alongside the crater of L’Manberg. For inspiration’s sake. “He survived, Wilbur didn’t, and Tommy made sure we all paid for it.” 

“None of this is fair, Jack,” Niki remained grim, staring down into the pit in exhausted contempt. “We both know this doesn’t guarantee Dream stops. That any of this stops.” 

“We’re not here to stop _everything_ , Niki. We’re here to stop Tommy,” Jack reminded her gently. He needed to know that she was committed. She was wounded enough at least. “You burned the tree, right?” 

“I did,” Niki said stiffly. She took no pride in that fact. It was another casualty of a conflict she never wanted to begin with. 

“Niki…” Jack put a hand on Niki’s shoulder, an offering of support as she wavered. “You are rooted in this conflict. And it has taken root in you. That cannot be burned.” 

When Niki finally turned to face him, her cheeks glistened with tears, but she did not look weak or afraid, she looked cold. A brutal conviction forged in loss and loss alone. 

“I’m tired, Jack,” Niki’s hand went to the sword on her hip. “I want to finish this.” 

Jack smiled, hand still on her shoulder. “For Wilbur, right? For everyone Tommy has ever hurt. We’ll have our justice.” 

Niki pulled away, turning away from the crater that had once been her home, turning from the place where her best friend had crumbled alongside the nation he had built. If she let her anger take over, if she held onto that bitter ember tight enough, maybe it would quell the grief. Maybe she could let go of Wilbur with Tommy. She wouldn’t know for sure until Tommy was gone for good. 

“We leave Tubbo out of it,” was all Niki said. As far as she was concerned, Tubbo had been hurt by Tommy as much as any of them. 

“No harm comes to the boy,” Jack was quick to agree. “Tubbo doesn’t have any blood on his hands.” 

“Let’s just get this done.” 

~*~

Puffy wasn’t quite _friends_ with Tommy and Tubbo. More like they were intrigued by her bothering to see them at all. The specifics didn’t matter, as long as she could keep an eye on them. They were okay. _That_ surprised her, but from what she could surmise, they were coping. She knew that Tommy and Tubbo wouldn’t let her into their plots easily, and there was surely more trouble stirring underneath the surface, but she could at least make sure they were safe, she could throw snowballs at them and help Tubbo build up Snowchester. She could deal with their curious neighbor Jack Manifold. That is, until he had cornered her and asked her what she was doing. 

“What do you mean _what am I doing?_ I’m helping Tubbo finish the bay–” 

“No,” Jack slammed the chest shut, stopping her from proceeding to get more stone brick. “What are you _doing_ here? What do you want with Tubbo?” 

“What do I _want_ with Tubbo? Nothing. Nothing– I am just here making sure they’re safe,” Puffy mistook Jack’s paranoia for altruism. “Don’t worry, Jack. I promise, I just want to make sure Tubbo is okay. And after everything these kids have been through… I think they deserve a few friends to watch their backs.” 

Jack seemed to accept this. “You’re smart, Puffy. And I think you’re a good person.” 

“...Thanks?” Puffy wasn’t sure where he was going with this, but his next words made her blood run cold. 

“Don’t come to Snowchester tomorrow.” 

“What’re you talking about?” 

“Trust me, _don’t_ come to Snowchester tomorrow,” Jack no longer seemed worried, he seemed dangerous. “I promise nothing bad will happen to Tubbo. I’ll look after him.” 

Puffy stared at him, eyes wide, resisting the urge to draw her sword. “And what about Tommy?” 

It was the strangest thing, for a second she thought Jack looked _smug._

“Trust me, Puffy,” when he spoke there was only cool certainty. “Don’t come to Snowchester tomorrow.” 

~*~

Puffy knew what her plans were come morning. She couldn’t warn Tommy and Tubbo. They trusted Jack and if she pushed them away now they would be defenseless when the attack happened. She would do what she could. 

Jack seemed surprised when Puffy was there the following day, but he was quick to recover, proceeding as normal. Tubbo rarely wore armor during the day in Snowchester, preferring to just wear a winter coat. Tommy tended to remain suited up. That wasn’t enough to put Puffy at ease. Jack seemed to notice Puffy’s eyes on him. She was sure to keep herself between him and Tommy. Puffy believed him when he said he wouldn’t hurt Tubbo. That was her mistake. 

Tubbo’s gasp was the first indication that something was wrong. Puffy whirled around, looking to Tommy immediately, but Tommy was unharmed, if not for his eyes wide in terror and a panicked shout of “ _Tubbo!_ ” 

“Don’t you move, Tommy,” Jack was this distorted combination of calm and mania, a blade pressed to Tubbo’s throat, keeping him in front of him as a shield. “Take another step and the snow turns red.” 

“J-Jack–” Tubbo’s eyes remained locked on Tommy, voice trembling as he struggled to comprehend a man he had deemed a friend now had him hostage. 

“Quiet,” Jack muttered sharply. He now looked to Puffy, as if daring her to make a decision. Daring her to either call his bluff or decide that Jack would actually hurt Tubbo if need be. Then he looked past her to the treeline. 

Puffy had known about Jack Manifold, his attempts at subtlety fell short. He hadn’t even attempted to be secretive, like he somehow thought Puffy wasn’t a threat. An idiot’s mistake. She had seen that enemy coming and had prepared to fight him off and call him a coward for good measure. Puffy could beat a pathetic man who plots to murder teenagers. She had planned on that. 

She hadn’t planned on Niki. 

Puffy’s first thought in all this had not been betrayal or fear or anger, instead there was guilt. Puffy had been so focused on protecting those without, she had abandoned the person she had first sworn to protect. How could she not have noticed? How could she have let things get this bad? How had they reached a point where Niki was in front of her, sword drawn and turned not against her, but against the kid behind her. Tommy seemed just as shocked by this turn of events, maybe even more by Puffy protecting him than his old friend turned against him. Kindness always seemed to surprise Tommy more than violence. Puffy hadn’t asked, only protected and defended without question as Niki emerged into the shoreline, out for blood. 

“Puffy?” Niki was momentarily frozen, staring at Puffy, eyes wide in shock. 

“Oh, no,” was all Puffy could think to say, yet both of them shared the same thought, frozen across from each other on opposite sides, _why did it have to be you?_

“Why are you..?” Niki looked past her to Jack for answers, Jack offered no solace. He cared nothing for lover’s quarrels, instead he remained focused on Tommy and the knife held close to Tubbo’s throat. Tommy didn’t seem to know where to turn, torn between confusion and rage, torn between looking to Tubbo who was in danger and to Niki, whose sword was drawn and in his direction. 

“Niki, what’s going on?” Tommy decided to turn to the old friend he still felt like he should trust. “I– I don’t understand,” he turned back to Jack, “whatever the fuck you think you’re doing, if you do _anything_ to him, I’m gonna rip you apart–” 

“Oh you won’t get the chance to kill me again, Tommyinnit,” Jack spat in his direction. He tried to reel his partner back in. “Isn’t that right, Niki?” 

It was like Niki had momentarily forgotten the rest of them were there, all of her focus on Puffy in front of her, between her and her target. 

“Right,” Niki said, but there was no spark behind her words. 

“Niki!” Tommy’s surprise seemed to make him finally realize that Niki was there for _him._ And not with the intention of helping. “What– I– Why?” 

This seemed to reawaken her, looking past Puffy to Tommy with something cold in her eyes. “How can you not know?!” 

“I… I don’t, I really don’t,” Tommy kept his hands raised in a passive gesture, glancing to Jack and Tubbo regularly. “Well, at least, why Tubbo? He’s done nothing wrong. I know everyone and their mother fuckin’ hates me. Dream told me as much and I’m sorry, Niki. I really am. I’m sorry I got your home blown up and I’m sorry I dragged you into another war, but leave Tubbo out of this, please.” 

“Oh, Tubbo will be fine, as long as you behave, Tommy,” Jack said coolly. “Niki, let’s be done with this. Take him out.” 

Niki wasn’t ready, she stared at Tommy incredulously. “That’s it? You think… you think I’m here all because of L’Manberg?” 

“Well, I expected–” 

“Tommy, just shut up! You’re gonna listen to me for once!” Niki’s composure faded into anger. “You’re the reason all this has happened!” 

“Niki, think about what you’re doing,” Puffy spoke up again. 

“I _am_ thinking about this! It’s all I’ve been doing!” Niki shouted at her, a storm about her in a way both so different and far too similar to the storm Puffy had fallen for. “What’re you even doing here?!” 

“I’m here to protect, not to fight. Whatever your reasons, there are other ways to solve this,” Puffy had to talk to her like she wasn’t Niki. She had to treat this clinically otherwise she didn’t know what she might do. 

She could only blame herself for the gap between them, her own distractions kept her from helping Niki when she needed her. And here she was, Puffy standing between Niki and Tommy, and Niki is a mess of furious tears and cold conviction. “Get out of the way, Puffy.” 

“No.” Puffy would not waver. She would not let the woman she loves turn to violence, she would not sit back while a kid lost his last life to Niki’s misguided bid for justice. 

“I said get out of the way!” Niki took a step forward, her sword raised, but unmoving. “Don’t- don’t make me hurt you to get to him!” 

“To get to _him?_ Niki…” Puffy was at a loss. She had never expected Niki, _her_ Niki to be the one to start a fight, she had always been there to finish them. 

“This is his fault! It’s all his fault. He- It should’ve been _him._ ” 

Tommy managed to speak, “w-what? Niki, I don’t understand, why are you–” 

“If it had been you and not Wilbur, none of this would’ve happened! We needed Wil to take care of us and we got stuck with _you_ instead,” Niki sounded so accusing, Puffy stepped forward in response, to not only protect Tommy from her sword, but to try and shield him from her view, from her cruel words. Puffy didn’t take her eyes off Niki, but Tubbo saw. Tommy looked as if he had just taken a physical blow, an injury that hurt worse because Tommy couldn’t help but think she was right. “And-And like always you pissed off the wrong people and _we_ had to deal with the consequences!” 

Puffy remained calm, despite how much the sight of Niki so distraught wounded her. “He’s a _kid_ –“ 

“So was I, once!” Niki cut her off sharply, so much rage and grief refusing to relent inside of her. Puffy fell silent, because she could do nothing to change the past. She could only try and prevent a bloody future. “I never caused the kind of damage. I never hurt anyone. And he has and-and someone has got to pay!” 

“Why, Niki? Haven’t you all suffered enough?” Puffy’s tone remained as gentle as she could manage, taking one step closer to her. “Please tell me you’re not gonna do this.” 

“Puffy, get out of my f-fucking way.” 

“ _Please_ tell me you’re not going to do this,” Puffy takes a step forward, sword put away and her hands raised, reaching out to Niki’s own trembling hands. “Please… Please don’t try and kill some kid who didn’t know any better. Please don’t make me have to stop you.” 

“I have to do this.” Even as Niki said this, she didn’t move, she didn’t push Puffy away, just stood there, sword in her trembling hands. “I started something- and I have to finish it, we-we can’t touch Dream, but if we get rid of Tommy- then this all goes away. If Tommy is dead, Dream won’t need to hurt anyone anymore!” 

Puffy reached out and held onto Niki’s hands like they were a delicate thing, like Niki could break any second, like she wasn’t the one holding a weapon. “This won’t bring him back.” 

Niki let go. 

Puffy let the sword fall and pulled Niki close into a hug, Niki, fighting to be strong for so long, finally collapsed into her embrace, shaking with sobs. 

This moment of peace was shattered, Jack at a loss for how things had turned against him so quickly. 

“Fine– Fine, I’ll do this myself!” Jack snarled. Then he made a fatal mistake. By virtue of going after Tommy, he had made Tubbo an enemy. One far more dangerous than he could have imagined. Jack decided he could let Tubbo go, shove him aside, and end Tommy once and for all. 

The moment the blade was away from Tubbo’s throat, him hitting the ground hard from Jack shoving him away, he grabbed onto Niki’s abandoned sword and in one singular motion he turned and stabbed the blade upward into Jack’s chest, his sword raised over his head to strike Tommy down, instead collapsed with him. 

“You even look at Tommy and I’ll kill you again. I don’t care how many lives you’ve got,” Tubbo stood over Jack, who was fading quickly, and stepped on the open wound for good measure. “I hope you understand me, Jack Manifold. ‘Cause this is your only warning. You better hope I never see you again.” 

Jack was dead before Tubbo had finished his threat. 

Tommy, not caring for the blood on his best friend’s coat, threw his arms around him. “Holy shit, man! That was badass as hell!” 

Tubbo managed a grin, tearing his eyes away from Jack’s corpse. He would deal with that betrayal later. Today had been enough. Instead he looked to Puffy and Niki, unsure of where to go from here. Tommy did the same, staring at Niki. He didn't look angry. That surprised Puffy. Tommy, always the first to rage and shout and make noise, and he stayed silent, looking at Niki, he only looked sad. 

“Come on. Let’s go,” Puffy pressed a kiss onto the top of Niki’s head, taking her hand in hers. “I think we need to talk.” 

Puffy spared a glance behind her, where the two boys watched them walk away, unsure of how to thank her or even fully process what Puffy had just done for them. They didn’t need to. Puffy had done her duty as a knight, but now she had to make up for lost time. She had to hold onto Niki until she felt whole again. Niki didn’t know anything for certain right now, not in all of this, but some part of her hoped that things would still be okay, so long as she had Puffy’s hand to hold.

**Author's Note:**

> This is Niche Content I know but I am so excited about Puffy and Niki’s character arcs so I hope this was worth the read <3  
> As always any feedback is very much appreciated


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